Geoff Wilmoth Best Paper Award

Who is Geoff Wilmoth?

Geoff Wilmoth was a founding member of IPWEAQ, chairing the inaugural meeting held in Rockhampton 7 October 1970 which proposed the formation of a Queensland local government engineer’s association. He was then elected onto the Institute’s governing committee at the inaugural meeting on 2 October 1972.

Mr Wilmoth graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1934 with the degree of Bachelor of Civil Engineering. He was first employed as a temporary Assistant Draftsman by the Queensland Main Roads Commission in 1934 but resigned a year later to work as the assistant to CR Tranberg, Shire Engineer of Johnstone Shire Council. After experience in road and bridge survey, design and construction, he obtained the position of Engineer in Charge of loan subsidy and Main Roads works in the Town of Roma in 1936. He resigned after a year to work as Assistant Engineer to HE MacDonnell, consulting engineer of Gayndah, whose practice provided full engineering services for nine rural shires in the Burnett area.

Wilmoth served in the Australian Anny. Upon demobilisation in 1945 he was appointed City Engineer of Bundaberg and in 1948 he was appointed City Engineer in Mackay.

Wilmoth joined the Toowoomba City Council in March 1953, the organisation with which he spent the remainder of his working life until his death in 1973. Shortly after joining the council, he was appointed City Engineer and Town Planner. He continued research into potential sites for Toowoomba’s second water supply storage area. The results of stream flows and other surveys indicated Perseverance Creek was the most suitable site. Council officers proceeded with detailed surveys and design of the dam, pump tower and rising main to the Mt Kynoch reservoir. The construction of a water treatment plant at Mt Kynoch progressed after completion of the Perseverance Dam system in 1962.

The main water distribution system was augmented with steel mains and a new service reservoir at Mt Lofty, and a new mushroom shaped elevated reservoir at Picnic Point. These projects combined to form a very efficient water supply system and were constructed over many years, by which time preliminary investigations had begun into the Cressbrook Dam system, Toowoomba’s third water supply storage area. Wilmoth encouraged major sewerage works to ensure all of Toowoomba was sewered in as short a period as finances permitted. He formulated a 10 year program of accelerated sewerage reticulation. After the 10 year program was completed, further surveying, particularly for the expansion of sewerage reticulation, was carted out using aerial photography. The sewerage reticulation program also required augmentation of existing sewers while the extended catchment areas necessitated major expansion of the Wetalla Sewage Treatment Plant.

Wilmoth also oversaw the elimination of the remaining red gravel roads and the kerbing and channelling of all new and existing bitumen roads in Toowoomba. Under his leadership stormwater and the city’s creeks also received more consideration, including the undergrounding of five year storm flows in East Creek, Lake Annand and a retention lake. Wilmoth’s philosophy was simple: first things first. Water and sewerage was the number one priority, roads number two, stormwater and creeks number three and beautification projects as funds permitted. He devised programs for construction in sequence of needs. His well-conceived and well-presented reports resulted in Council approving most of his preferred programs. He was appointed to the National Capital Planning Committee in the late 1960s.

Mr Wilmoth passed away on 8 April 1973. He was acknowledged for his service at the first Annual General Meeting of the Institute held 1 October 1973 and it is recorded that, ‘Geoff will be long remembered and revered by all of his engineering colleagues and it would be fitting if some tangible form of recognition of his service to the community could be instigated by this Association.’

The Geoff Wilmoth award for the best paper delivered at our state conference continues 43 years later in his honour.

Last year’s winner

Clarissa Campbell

Moreton Bay Regional Council

Stormwater pipe condition assessment – if only animals could talk

2020 Winner

The winner of the Geoff Wilmoth Best Paper award will be announced during the President’s Address at the conference close on Day 3. The winner will receive a complimentary registration plus travel and accommodation to attend the IPWEA NZ conference in 2021. The winner will also have an opportunity to deliver their presentation at that event.